Migration and Fusion: Tracing the Roots of Chutney Music, A Journey from Bihar to Trinidad

Abstract

Historians try to discern the reason for large scale population movement and the effects of those changes. In general, we can divide all the forces into two, pushing and pulling forces, that affect people’s migration. Political turmoil, a lack of employment opportunities or congestion could work as pushing factors. Pulling factors include better life style, job opportunities or having relatives who have already moved. Different ethenic groups encounter one another and the hosting land works as a melting pot in which process of cultural amalgamation happens to create a new form. Chutney Music is the resultant of this very process in which Bhojpuri and Indian folk music are amalgamated with Caribbean calypso and Soca music. This is a fusion of Dhantal and Dholak from Indian continent, Soca beats and Tasha drums from Caribbean island. In this paper we map out the journey of Chutney music from north India to Caribbean island and how it evolved.